Penang
George Town's food and heritage streets at below-capital prices.
A day in Penang
$76
- Lean
- $33
- Comfort
- $173
Real change, 12 months
+0.4%
Flat. Tracks Malaysia as a whole.
Against the rest of Malaysia
−5%
Cheaper than the national figure of $80 a day.
The short answerIn US dollars, as of November 12, 2026
As of November 12, 2026, a mid-range day in Penang costs about $76 per person, excluding flights: about 5% less than the average for Malaysia. Prices for US-dollar travelers are about where they were a year ago in real terms. George Town's food and heritage streets at below-capital prices.
What your money buys in Malaysia
Exchange rates and inflation are national, so the city follows this line. The dashed line is the exchange rate alone; the solid line is after inflation.
Nov 12, 2026After inflation 88.5Exchange rate only 85.6
Penang, in five questions
City costs are the national model scaled by a premium of −5% that we set by hand. To cite: “Trip Arbitrage (triparbitrage.com), reading of November 12, 2026.”
- How much does a day in Penang cost?
- About $33 on a lean budget, $76 mid-range and $173 in comfort, per person per day as of November 12, 2026, excluding international flights. These are modeled estimates: the national figure for Malaysia, updated daily, scaled by a city premium.
- Is Penang expensive compared with the rest of Malaysia?
- Penang costs about 5% less than the national average for Malaysia, which is $80 a day mid-range. George Town's food and heritage streets at below-capital prices.
- Is Penang cheaper to visit than last year?
- The exchange rate moved −1.0% for US-dollar holders over twelve months while prices in Malaysia rose +2.1%, a real change of +0.4%. City prices broadly follow the country.
- When is the best time to visit Penang for lower prices?
- For Malaysia the shoulder months, with workable weather and lower prices, are March, April, May, September. Peak season is January, February, June, July, August.
- Is Penang safe?
- The US State Department rates Malaysia at Level 1: Normal precautions. Country-wide levels can hide large differences between cities and regions, so read the full advisory.